Reduced friction planer carriage and guide arrangement



June 18, 1968 A. LOBBE ET AL 3,388,948

REDUCED FRICTION RLANER CARRIAGE AND GUIDE ARRANGEMENT Filed March 14, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1

INVENTORS mm 4 6555, ream/m imam; 004/776 FLOCAE AFTER/V575 June 18, 1968 LQBBE ET AL 3,388,948

REDUCED FRICTION PLANER CARRIAGE AND GUIDE ARRANGEMENT Filed March 14, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTORS flRMl/V 1.0595, FRIED/WC m 4; au'wrse nae/r5 Jim v5):

United States Patent 3,388,948 REDUCED ERECTION PLANER CARRIAGE AND GUKDE ARRANGEMENT Armin Ldbhe, Uberaden, Friedrich Jordan, Wethmar, and

Gunter Flocke, Lunch-Sud, Germany, assignors to Gewerkschaft Eisenhutte Westfalia, Wethmar, near Lunen, Westphalia, Germany Filed Mar. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 533,894 Claims. (Cl. 29934) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Planer carriage and guide arrangement for disposition longitudinally along a mine face, to permit said carriage to be conducted longitudinally back and forth along the mine face and to receive cutting means thereon for operative engagement with the mine face to extract mineral therefrom substantially without deviation of said carriage from the normal longitudinal path thereof, comprising elongated guide support surface means including an upright wall and a transverse lateral lower wall, and angular carriage means including interconnected lateral and slanted leg means extending from a common apex, mounted for travel on said guide support surface means along a normal longitudinal path and having operatively downwardly directed reduced friction contact surface guide means on said lateral leg means in conductive contact with said lower wall, for transmitting with re duced friction forces acting downwardly on said carriage means to said lower wall, and having operatively transversely directed reduced friction contact surface guide means on said slanted leg means in conductive contact with said upright wall, for transmitting with reduced friction forces acting transversely on said carriage means to said upright wall, during travel of said carriage means on said guide support surface means.

The present invention relates to a mining planer and guide "arrangement, with the planer having a carriage adapted to receive cutting means thereon and to be conducted on the guide arrangement, such as a guide support surface, back and forth along a mine face with such cutting means in operative engagement with the mine face for extraction of mineral therefrom substantially Without deviation of the carriage and/or the guide support surface from the normal longitudinal path thereof, and more particularly to an angular carriage means adapted to receive such cutting means and having reduced friction contact surface guide means thereon for transmitting to the guide support surface with reduced friction those forces acting on the carriage means during operative engagement of the cutting means with the mine face.

It has been proposed to provide a longitudinally extending guide support means of particular configuration for a mining machine, such as a coal planer, plow, or the like, such that the cutting means of the planer extend beyond the adjacent edge of the guide means in the direction toward the mine face a predetermined distance to enable the planer to operate with shallow cutting action. This means that, by urging the guide means or support track for the planer in unyielding contact at its forwardmost edge with the mine face, preferably at the mine floor, the planer may extract mineral to a depth corresponding to the distance beyond such forwardmost edge that the planer extends in the direction of the mine face. This kind of arrangement has been provided without the need for a keel or swordplate attached to the rearward side of the planer and extending under the guide means, such as a conventional scraper conveyor,

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whereby to attain stability of the planer and prevent rearward tilting from the mine face. By the use of a slanting ramp or similar guide means attached to the adjacent lateral side wall of such a conventional conveyor, the forwardmost edge of the rail engages the mine face at the mine floor while a portion of the guide means is provided in the form of a pair of superimposed chain channels in a housing reaching a height substantially above that of the adjacent side wall of the conveyor. The chain channels are utilized for receiving the forward and return strands of the drive cable means, such as a guide chain, used to drive the planer in connection with which the guide means is used back and forth therealong in the longitudinal direction without rearward deviation from the desired path. Advantageously, the upward housing for the chain channels may be formed with retaining grooves or guide grooves or surfaces therealong for slidably receiving correspondingly shaped portions of the particular planer to achieve guidance of the planer without any tipping thereof away from the mine face.

The above-mentioned proposals have been disclosed and claimed in copending United States application Ser. No. 252,528, filed Jan. 18, 1963, now abandoned, in favor of copending United States application Ser. No. 585,989, filed Feb. 28, 1967, and copending United States application Ser. No. 300,285, filed Aug. 6, 1963, now U.S. Patent 3,305,269, for example, and it will be appreciated that slight changes in profile of the guide means may be made to achieve analogous guidance of a planer, plow, or similar mining machine, whereby particular grooves and spatially related portions on the guide means may accommodate the particular shape of a mining machine used in connection therewith.

Of course, the guide means may be in the form of a typical mining conveyor having a ramp, or the like, along the side wall thereof adjacent the mine face, yet with a chain housing extending upwardly to accommodate the drive cable means utilized and which is mounted at the ends of the mineway over appropriate drive drums, sprocket wheels, or the like. The conveyor is normally urged toward the mine face by piston-cylinder urging means, or the like, to maintain the cutting means on the planer, plow, etc., in extractive engagement with the mine face for the more efiicient removal of mineral. In this connection, see US. Patents 2,691,514; 2,702,697; 2,745,651; 2,810,565; 2,818,164; 2,943,728, and 3,192,722, which illustrate mining conveyor means, drive means for planers or plows, guide means on the side of the conveyor adjacent the mine face for mounting the mining machine, urging means to urge the mining machine in extractive engagement with the mine face, etc. The particular use of a ramp or track extending at its forwardmost edge into engagement with the mine face at the mine floor, coupled with an upright housing portion extending upwardly beyond the adjacent wall of the conveyor, whereby to house the drive cable means for the planer, is, however, disclosed in the aforementioned copending applications.

A great advantage in the use of the superimposed chain channels of the upwardly extending housing, as noted more fully in said copending applications, is that the planer alley or space between the adjacent portion of the conveyor and/or guide means, on the one hand, and the mine face being worked, on the other hand, is kept very narrow. Consequently, the loading work that must be done by the planer or plow in order to force extracted mineral in such alley rearwardly and transversely into the mining conveyor, is relatively slight. More important- 1y, a constant extraction of mineral is achieved, because of the constant overlap of the mining machine beyond the forwardmost edge of the guide means in the direction of the mine face. Also, because the production .or winning of mineral, such as coal, is constant and, therefore, equal over the entire mine face being worked, a better advance calculation or estimate of the mining progress is possible, and in turn a more uniform loading of the conveyor along its extent. It has developed that mining planers or plows of the type contemplated are less frequently subject to load peaks which result in shear pin failure, even though a higher average power consumption has to be expected in consideration of the unyielding urgence of the conveyor, :and especially the forewardmost edge of the track means thereof into engagement with the mine face at the mine floor.

Additional advantages may be appreciated from the fact that because of the superimposed disposition of the chain channels and the unyielding urgence of the track means of the guide means into anchoring engagement with the mine face at the mine floor the desirable relatively narrow planer alley will exist, as aforesaid, and besides the reduction in the loading work of the planer, less trouble is necessary for taking care of the mine roof in the vicinity of the mine face than heretofore. It will be appreciated that mining props, such as advanceable mining props of the type shown in the aforementioned US. Patent 3,192,722, are employed along the conveyor on the side thereof remote from the mine face to support the mine roof thereat and prevent perilous cave-in. As further layers of the mine face are progressively exposed due to the back and forth extractive engagement of the mining machine therewith, the conveyor must be advanced transversely toward the mine face to maintain the relatively narrow planer alley desired and to keep the forwardmost edge of the ramp means on the guide means of the conveyor in anchoring engagement with the mine face at the mine floor. The prop means must be advanced in turn to maintain the required support of the roof adjacent the mine face, and because of the relatively narrow planer alley in question, the mining props utilized can be maintained closer to the mine face than heretofore, measured by the closer disposition to the mine face of the guide means and conveyor than heretofore. Of course, it is difficult to maintain roof support right up to the mine face in question, because of the nature of the mining operations, the condition of the bedding, and practical considerations. Nevertheless, because of the relatively narrow planer alley, arrangements utilizing guide means having a guide track in unyielding engagement with the mine face at the mine floor permit better protection of the mine workers in the vicinity of the mine face than heretofore.

In connection with previous mining arrangements where it has been sought to maintain the mining machine in unyielding engagement with the mine face, i.e., without the planer, plow, or the like, tilting rearwardly and transversely thereaway, a keel or swordplate was provided as aforesaid on the rearward side of the mining machine which extended beneath the conveyor. The stabilizing effect of such keel arrangement, however, was offset to great extent in practical mining operations by the fact that undue friction losses occurred which were caused by the rough mine floor under the conveyor or other guiding member as well as by the weight of the conveyor and the extracted mineral contained thereon, considering the fact that the keel had to travel between the mine floor and the underside of the conveyor as the mining machine moved longitudinally in extractive engagement with the mine face. While the keel would certainly absorb the tilting forces tending to displace the mining machine, such as a plow or planer, rearwardly away from the mine face, and while the weight of the conveyor and the mineral contents thereon were helpful in this regard, the friction losses attendant the operation became excessive, especially where a mining machine having a shallow cutting action, such as a so-called static planer, was used. A static planer is one having cutting means thereon dis posed for unyielding extractive engagement with the mine face to a constant depth, represented by the distance beyond the forwardmost edge of the track means of the guide means in question which the cutting tools extend, as noted more fully hereinabove. Of course, if it were possible to reduce considerably such frictional losses, a faster mining progress could thereby be achieved. On the other hand, the higher power consumption necessary for the drive means associated with the planer and guide arrangement could be reduced in such event to an extent that the driving units of conventional design now being used could continue to be used. In other words, the faster mining progress could be reduced more or less to the conventional rate of progress in consequence of a reduction of a higher power consumption, yet the over-all economy of operation of the mining machine installation would be substantially improved if the aforementioned frictional losses could be considerably reduced, i.e., especially with respect to a planer arrangement of the types contemplated in the aforementioned copending US. applications.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing drawbacks and to provide a mining planer and guide arrangement which may be used for extracting mineral, such as coal, from a mine face in a manner such that the frictional losses will be minimal, yet without the need for a keel or swordplate extending beneath the guide means, such as a mining conveyor, as heretofore used.

it is another object of the present invention to provide such a planer and guide arrangement which will achieve a substantial reduction in frictional losses, yet will permit the extraction of mineral to a constant depth and in turn uniform winning of such mineral during a given period of time.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a planer and guide arrangement without allowing the loading of the conveyor to increase the frictional losses as heretofore occurred with the use of a keel arrangement,

It is another object of the present invention to permit a comparatively narrow planer alley to be maintained between the conveyor and mine face, to reduce the loading work of the mining machine in connection with mineral disposed in such planer alley, to obtain constant production of mineral, such as coal, equally over the entire length of the mine face, and to regulate the power consumption whereby to avoid undue increase thereof even though the conveyor and track means must be urged unyieldingly against the mine face at the mine floor and even though the planer must be operatively displaced along such mine face, not only while being subjected to the forces met at the mine face but also the transverse forces generated by the unyielding urgence of the guide means and, more particularly, the track means thereagainst.

Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparent from a study of the within specification and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic transverse sectional view of the planer and guide arrangement in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, taken along the line 1-1 of FIG. 3,

FIG. 2 is a schematic top view, partially broken away to illustrate details of construction and partially in section, of one side portion of the planer carriage disposed on the guide means in question, in connection with the embodiment of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a schematic front view corresponding to the portion of the planer carriage and guide means shown in FIG. 2, and illustrating in phantom certain relationships between the guide means and the planer carriage.

It has been found in accordance with the present invention that a mining planer and guide arrangement may be provided, with the planer having a carriage adapted to receive cutting means thereon and to be conducted on the guide arrangement, such as a guide support surface, back and forth along a mine face with such cutting means in operative engagement with the mine face for extraction of mineral therefrom substantially with-out deviation of the carriage and/or the guide support surface from the normal longitudinal path thereof. Specifically, the planer in question is provided in the form of a planer carriage, such as an angular carriage means adapted to receive such cutting means and having reduced friction contact surface guide means thereon for transmitting to the guide support surface with reduced friction those forces acting on the carriage means during operative engagement of the cutting means with the mine face.

In connection with one particular embodiment of the present invention, the planer carriage means is provided with rollers or wheels which support the mining machine in the form of a planer, plow, or the like, On the guide means and particularly on the track means or ramp extending toward the mine face. The track means is intended to be unyieldingly urged at its forwardmost edge into anchoring contact with the mine face at the mine floor, and the cutting means on the angular carriage means is adapted to be disposed such that the cutting means extend beyond the forwardmost edge of the track means a predetermined distance which produces the extraction of mineral in a corresponding amount. Additional rollers are provided on the angular carriage means which absorb the horizontal or transverse forces coming from the coal face during operative engagement of the cutting means therewith. Advantageously, the first-mentioned rollers are disposed on a transverse lateral limb or leg of the angular carriage means and act to support the weight of the carriage means, including the cutting means, on the guide track, Whereas the additional rollers are d sposed on an upstanding limb or leg of the angular carriage means for absorbing the aforementioned horizontal forces met at the mine face.

In accordance with one feature of the invention, the arrangement includes three sets of rollers and the planer, plow, or the like, and the guide means are constructed in such manner that the planer angular carriage means forms the hypotenuse of the right angled legs of the guide means fastened to the mining conveyor and overlies such angled legs whereby to cover them. The rollers are disposed in relation to one another whereby to permit one row of rollers to engage the corner or apex of the right angled legs of the guide means while the other two rows of rollers of the angular carriage means engage the corresponding right angled legs of the guide means. The right angled legs of the guide means may include an upright wall and a transverse lateral lower wall with the right angle being defined therebetween, the angular legs of the angular carriage means being disposed such that the transverse lateral leg thereof contains roller means which engage the right angled corner of the guide support surface means in question as well as the transverse lateral lower wall, while the upstanding angular leg of the carriage means contains roller means disposed thereon which engage the upright wall of the guide support surface means.

Referring to the drawing, FIG. 1 shows a conventional guide means in the form of a mining conveyor 1, such as a double chain scraper conveyor, having a pair of lateral side walls 2 (one of which is shown), each of which contain an inwardly directed shank 3, whereby the common intermediate trough plate 4 may be disposed on the appropriate shanks 3 by welding or other suitable connection in the conventional manner. The lateral side wall 2 adjacent the mine face 17 is provided with an upright bracket 7 mounted thereon via the connecting seat 6 fixedly'disposed in the grove 5 outwardly defined in shank 3 thereat. Suitable connecting means may extend from the side 8 of bracket 7 remote from side wall 2 into the connecting seat 6. It will be appreciated that connecting seat 6 is one of a plurality fixedly disposed in groove 5 at spaced along points of conveyor 1 by suitable mounting means whereby to receive thereat appropriate spaced apart brackets 7. Naturally, in order to negotiate unevenness in the mine floor, conveyor '1 is provided in the form of a plurality of separate conveyor sections in end-to-end articulated connection. The bracket 7 is provided with a concave arcuate lower seat portion 9 against which is seated the corresponding medial concave portion 10 of the transverse lateral ramp 11 by means of a suitable fastening means passing therebetween as shown at 12. The transverse lateral ramp 11 includes besides the medial concave portion 10, the intermediate track 13 having the track surface 14 thereon and the distal end portion terminating in the anchor edge or knife-edge 15 adapted to be disposed in unyielding contact with mine face 17 at mine floor 16. Bracket 7 is also provided with the upper seat portion 18 having a longitudinal slide surface 19 thereon such that the intermediate seat 23 of the shank 22 may be attached via fastening means 24 extending through bracket 7 to the side thereof adjacent side wall 2 as shown at 25, similar to the attachment as shown a 12. Bracket 7 is, therefore, fixedly attached to the side wall 2 as shown and the guide means, including the transverse lateral ramp 11 and the upright, section 20, is connected to bracket 7 in turn in a rigid manner.

Upright section 20 includes the arcuate crown 21 extending to a height above that of the adjacent side wall 2 and the shank 22 which has an intermediate seat 23 and the lower end 28. The crown 21 has a flange portion 26 extending downwardly to the adjacent side wall 2 and a suitable rim 27 is provided at the outer end of the flange portion 26 which engages the upper end of side wall 2, preferably with crown 21 being placed under slight tension to prevent the seepage of extracted mineral and mine dust from entering upper channel 31 defined within he surrounding portions of crown 21 and shank 22 together with the slide surface 19 of bracket 7. Suitable means, such as welding, may be used to attach rim 27 to flange portion 26 as well as to attach the adjacent portions of crown 21 and shank 22 to one another. The downwardly extending lower end 28 of shank 22 is spaced from the track surface 14 of intermediate track 13 whereby to define a longitudinal slit 29 therebetween. In effect, the configuration of crown 21 and shank 22 is more or less S-shaped in cross-section, although the transverse lateral ramp 11 coupled with the upright section 20 defines more or less a right angle structure outwardly and upwardly facing the mine face 17 thereat. At the right angle apex or corner of the triangle in question, the lower channel 30 is provided, channel 30 being acually defined by the surrounding arcuate medial concave portion 10 of ramp 11 and the downwardly extending lower end 28 of shank 22.

Suitable urging means, such as piston-cylinder means, not shown but of conventional design, may be used to urge conveyor 1 and in turn ramp 11 and upright section 20 toward mine face 17 such that edge 15 is in engagement preferably with the corner defined between the mine face and mine floor thereat.

In this manner, planer 32 may be positioned on the guide means defined by ramp 11 and upright section 29 for longitudinal movement back and forth with the planer cutting means 34 having cutting tools 35, pivotally mounted on the angular carriage 33 disposed in sliding engagement with the guide means.

It will be realized that in order to negotiate unevenness in the mine floor and to accommodate the desired advance of the arrangement in increments toward the mine face as newly exposed layers of mineral are provided, the ramp 11 and upright section 20, though rigidly aflixed to bracket 7 which in turn is fixedly mounted on conveyor 1, maybe provided in the form advantageously of longitudinal elongated sections comparable to the length and the disposition of the elongated mining conveyor sections articulatedly interconnected in end-to-end relation. However, the separate corresponding individual sections of the guide means comprising ramp 11 and upright section 20 need not be articulatedly interconnected since normally these parts are sufficiently rigidly affixed to the appropriate conveyor section to be displaced with such conveyor section in the desired manner despite unevenness in the mine floor, or for that matter in the mine face.

The angular carriage 33 is adapted to receive pivotally thereon the cutting means 34 of the planer 33 such that the cutting tools 35 will extend outwardly beyond the forwardmost edge of the guide means whereby to cut a layer of mineral from the mine face 17 measured by the overlap of the cutting tools 35 with respect to the edge 15. Due to the pivotal mounting of the cutting means 34 on carriage 33, the cutting tools 35 will assume the position 35' shown in phantom in FIG. 1, whereby to cut efliciently the mineral not only from the mine face but down to the corner area between the mine face and the mine floor.

The angular carriage 33 is provided with two interconnected legs 36 and 44 extending from a common apex connection more or less at 38. Leg 44 is transversely laterally disposed along track surface 14 while leg 36 is substantially upwardly and inwardly disposed in the form of a slanted leg having the arcuate flange or curved edge portion 37 overlaying the crown 21 of the upright section of the guide means. Downwardly directed roller 41 mounted by axle 42. in the space 40 between the apex connection leg 38 and the medal leg 39 serves to transmit downwardly the forces acting on planer 32. In the same way, the lateral leg 44 connected at 43 to the medial leg 39 is provided at the lateral outer portion thereof with the lug 45 containing the substantially vertical roller 47 and the substantially transverse roller 48. Rollers 47 and 48 are disposed in crosswise alignment at an angle of less than 90 with respect to one another, whereby the edges thereof may engage the appropriate portions of the interior of the lower channel 30 whereby to retain guidingly planer 32 on the guide means during the back and forth travel in question. The vertical roller 47 transmits the downward forces on planer 32 to the ramp 11 in the same manner as roller 41, whereas roller 48 transmits lateral or transverse forces met by the planer at the mine face onto the appropriate arcuate portion 10 of ramp 11. Additionally, the lug 45 is provided with a drive chain 46 attached to the appropriate end thereof. Chain 46 is displaceably received within lower channel 30 and the ends thereof are mounted on suitable drive means for moving the planer longitudinally 'back and forth on the guide means with the return strand of the drive chain being displaceably positioned within upper channel 31.

A further roller 49 is disposed by the axle 50 on the portion 51 of slanted leg 36 carried by way of the attachment 52. The roller 49 engages the upper end portion or wall of shank 22 so as to transmit transversely laterally forces exerted on planer 32.

While the guide arrangement, including ramp 11 and upright section as well as conveyor 1, may be considered old per se, insofar as the aforementioned copending U.S. applications are concerned, it will be realized that with the reduced friction contact surface guide means provided on the planer carriage of the present invention, such as in the form of variously disposed roller means, a planer may be conducted longitudinally along the mine face with the cutting :means thereof in extractive engagement with such mine face and with such travel being attained with reduced friction and reduced energy requirement, despite the fact that the track means of the guide means is maintained in unyielding urgence with the mine face via the forwardmost edge thereof.

As may be seen in FIG. 2, a series of separate rollers may be provided as the rollers at the apex 38 of the angular carriage 33 as well as at the slanted leg 36 and at the outer end of leg 44. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, it will be seen that the carriage actually includes an elongated carriage having roller mounting means at either longitudinal end. The mid point of the carriage 33 is provided with a pivot means 53 and stop means 54 whereby to receive in a limitedly pivotal manner the cutting means 34 having the cutting tools 35. It will be realized by the artisan that the arrangement shown at the right longitudinal end portion of carriage 33 is the same as that disposed at the left longitudinal end portion of carriage 33, which is not shown. In any case, the space at the apex 38 of the angular carriage 33 is shown with a bracer 61 between the medial leg 39 and the apex leg 38. One roller 41 carried by axle 42 is shown mounted across the space 40 although it will be appreciated that if desired more than one such roller may be disposed at such longitudinal end. The lateral leg 44 is connected via the bolts 59 to the medial leg 39 and for this purpose openings 60 are defined through the apex leg 38 to permit access for fastening bolts 59. Roller 41 is mounted for sliding abutment with ramp 11 at the upper track surface 14 with a minimum of friction. Rearwardly disposed with respect to apex leg 38 is the lug to which the drive cable means 46 is attached via connecting means 45' for longitudinal movement of carriage 33 in the desired direction. The vertically disposed roller 47 via axle 56 is shown in the slot while the transversely disposed roller 48 mounted via axle 57 is shown in the transverse slot 58. The roller 47 is mounted for movement on the appropriate portion of ramp l1 and roller 48 is mounted for appropriate engagement with the lower end 28 of the shank 22 and the apex portion of the guide means at the innermost portion of lower channel 30. Upright section 20 having a crown 21 is shown as well as the lower end 28.

It will be appreciated that while only one set of rollers 41, 47 and 48 is shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of such rollers may be disposed at the appropriate end of carriage 33, if desired.

In FIG. 3, the disposition of the mounting attachment 52 for the roller 49 may be seen with the axle 50 extending upwardly and being attached by pin 62 to the attachment plate 52. The disposition of lug 45, connecting means 46, vertical roller 47 and vertical roller 41 is shown in phantom, with appropriate bolts 59 being seen through the corresponding openings 60 in apex leg 38. Silimarly, the axle 42 in leg 38 is shown. The manner in which the roller 41 is mounted for engagement on upper track surface 14 of ramp 11 can be appreciated as well as the disposition of the forwardmost edge 15. It will be clear that the longitudinal end of carriage 33 is provided with a sloping cover 63 similar to the sloping portion 64 near the mounting of the cutting means 34 (see FIG. 2), whereby as the planer is displaced longitudinally, mineral which is extracted will beforced upwardly and rearwardly along the chute surfaces 63 and 64, whereby the extracted mineral may be loaded onto the conveyor quickly and efficiently. Cover 63 also serves advantageously to keep mineral or dust from entering the interior of carriage 33 so as to keep such interior and the appropriate channel 30 of the guide means free from mineral, which might obstruct the efiicient passage of the planer and the guide means with a minimum of friction.

Since the guide surface support portion fastened to the conveyor extends as far as the mine face, a track is thereby provided which is suitable to accommodate the vertically disposed rollers on the angular carriage such that in view of the plowing or loading action of the carriage, i.e., utilizing chute surfaces 63 and 64, the particular track is always kept free of extracted mineral, such as coal. The loading work is actually performed by the planer or plow itself and this will tend to keep the track sufficiently clear to permit displacement of the carriage along the track with a minimum of frictional contact therebetween and thus with a minimum of over-all energy for conducting the planer carriage in the desired manner.

By way of the two superimposed chain passages or guide channels of the upright section 20 of the guide means, a side wall extension is thereby provided at the side of the conveyor adjacent the mine face to increase the capacity of the conveyor in conjunction with a conventional bounce plate or backing plate upwardly extending from the side wall of the conveyor remote from the mine face. The upwardly extending chain channel is advantageously closed off by the crown 21 and shank 22 to prevent entry of extracted mineral, dust, etc., thereinto. This is to permit unhindered displacement of the return strand, for instance, of the drive cable means used to conduct the planer carriage back and forth along the guide track as aforesaid. On the other hand, the lower channel or passage is provided with a slot facing the guide track thereat to permit the lug of the planer carriage to be inserted thereat and to permit the rollers carried thereon to be guided not only downwardly via a vertical roller on the bottom portion of such lower channel, but also transversely via the laterally extending roller thereat, i.e., against the side wall portion of the lower channel remote from the mine face. The very configuration of the lug with respect to the surrounding configuration of the lower channel is such that the longitudinally outward end of the lug to which the drive means cable is attached will clear the lower passage of dust or mineral particles as the planer is displaced in the longitudinal direction. By providing the crown and shank portions of the upright section as an integral piece and by providing the ramp section as an individual piece, preferably fixedly connected to the bracket in turn attached to the adjacent side wall of the conveyor, a guide means is provided with a minimum of parts yet which is sturdy and durable in use, and upon which may be mounted, with a minimum of friction, a planer carriage of the instant type, preferably with the upper end portion of the carriage having a curved end flange extending over the top of the crown of the upright section to assure additionally the stabilized condition of the planer carriage, irrespective of the forces met at the mine face by the cutting means thereon, so long as the conveyor and in turn the guide means urge the various vertically disposed and transversely disposed rollers and thus the carriage and cutting means unyieldingly against the mine face, and certainly to the extent that the forwardmost edge of the track means is in abutting unyielding anchoring engagement with the mine face, preferably at the mine floor.

By the specific configuration of the axes of the rollers and of their planes of rotation, the spatial relation of the four types of rollers mentioned (see FIG. 1) is such that a trapezoid is defined by the intersections of such planes of rotation.

It will be realized that the angle of mounting of the roller 49 at the upper end of slanted leg 36 is preferably disposed at the same angle with respect to the vertical as the axis of pivot 53 disposed at a point intermediate the longitudinal ends of the carriage shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. This serves to achieve better stability and balance of the carriage during the mining operation and better transmission to the guide means of the forces met by the cutting means at the mine face.

In order to assure correct anchoring of the forwardmost edge of the track means with the mine face at the mine floor, such edge may be fashioned in the form of a knife-edge or a sharpened toothed edge designed to engage the coal face in the desired manner.

It will be realized, of caurse, that a simple modification contemplated herein is to replace some or all of the rollers or rows of rollers used as reduced friction guiding contact members by corresponding sliding elements having a slide surface adapted to slide with reduced friction against the portions of the guide means with which the roller means in the embodiment shown are in supporting contact. The essence of the present invention is attained in either instance, the important feature being that the carriage is supported at only a few spaced apart points thereon rather than throughout the confining surface thereof as in the past. Specifically, while heretofore the planer rested with its entire bottom surface along the track means and with iii its entire upright surface remote from the mine face in contact with the corresponding upright portion of the guide means thereat, in accordance with the present invention the required stability and balance and freedom from tilting is achieved during planer operations with a minimum of friction in view of the relatively few points of contact between the planer carriage and the guide means.

if desired, cleaning scrapers or shoes may be placed in the particular longitudinal direction ahead of the rollers or sets of rollers in question to clear the path along the guide means of extracted mineral particles, dust, and the like, so that the rollers in their passage along the mine face will encounter no obstacles which might damage them or detract from the minimum friction advantages sought. For this purpose, as the artisan will appreciate, loosely held cleaning shoes may be disposed in the lower chain channel in order to clean the lower channel of fine mineral such as coal.

Advantageously, utilizing the construction of the present invention, including not only the angular carriage but also a guide arrangement having an upright portion for absorbing transverse forces and a track portion extending into contact with the mine face at the mine floor for absorbing downward forces, whereby to maintain the planer in stable non-tipping disposition, very little space should be occupied between the mine face and the conveyor proper. As aforesaid, the narrower the space which exists in the planer alley between the mine face and the conveyor, the less difficulties there will be in loading the mineral onto the conveyor and the less will be the loss of valuable material due to churning up of the same into dust in the planer alley, as for example where the loading thereof into the conveyor is only comparatively inefiiciently achieved. Moreover, the closer the conveyor to the mine face, the closer therebehind will be safe support of the mine roof provided by the advanceable mining props. The absolute and secure guidance achieved, utilizing the planer carriage and guide means of the instant type, is purposeful assuming that the guide means is maintained in unyielding disposition in the forwardmost edge thereof in contact with the mine face, because less wear and tear on parts will occur, less power consumption will be necessary to conduct the planer along the mine face, and less interruption of the mining operation will in turn result. The use of the end chutes 63 as shown in FIG. 3 are indeed helpful in this connection as are cleaning shoes, or the like, disposed ahead of the rollers or slide elements in the direction of travel, whereby to clean the contact surfaces of obstructing material thereat. indeed, for foregoing advantages are achieved and especially the reduction in friction and power consumption, without the need for a keel extending rearwardly from the planer under the conveyor, yet with the planer being maintained in the desired stable upright condition. The omission of a keel may be enjoyed without increasing the expenses of the planar, since the rollers or slide means or skids used are of simple design and inexpensive to produce, yet the desired stable disposition of the planer at the mine face will be ensured.

:While in the past the passage of the planer along the guide means caused the guide means to breathe at the point where the planer was passing, this was because the planer engaged the mine face at a point beyond the forwardmost portion of the guide means thereat, with such guide means being spaced from the mine face. However, by maintaining the forwardmost portion of the guide means in anchoring contact with the mine face, no breathing or rearward yielding of the guide means occurs as the planer passes along, but instead the planer extracts mineral to a depth in direct dependence upon the distance beyond the forwardrnost edge of the guide means which the cutting means extend. Of course, the great power losses occasioned by the method of operating a planer on a conveyor or similar guide means with angular displacement of the guide means during the breathing operation, in which the individual end-to-end articulatedly interconnected conveyor sections are displaced with respect to one another, and the resultant wear at the interconnected sections, are avoided by the utilization of the instant arrangement. While the conveyor and even the guide means contemplated herein may be fashioned in the form of end-to-end articulatedly interconnected sections, the main purpose therefor is to accommodate unevenness in the mine floor and in the mine face and to permit incremental advance of the guide means, as might be desired in the over-all arrangement of the invention. However, the extreme forces to which the articulatedly interconnected conveyor and guide means sections were subjected in the past do not occur in the contemplated operation of the present invention, wherein the guide means is unyieldingly urged against the mine face, and in addition to the conservation of operating power, the expenses attendant replacement and repair of parts are reduced as well. Nevertheless, the conventional type of urging piston-cylinder arrangements may be utilized to urge the conveyor and in turn the guide track into unyielding engagement with the mine face since these parts will not change in their operation and at best the check valve used to permit reduction in the urging forces when excessive counterforces are met at the mine face may merely be provided to withstand a greater force at the mine face before release of the hydraulic or pneumatic medium contemplated to effect the desired urgence.

While the configuration of the guide means shown in FIG. 1 may show the upright section 20 comprising the crown 21 and shank 22 in the form of an S-shaped profile in cross-section, any suitable profile shape may be utilized, such as a slanting wall extending from lower end 28 upwardly to crown 21, with simple modifications being made in shank 22 and in the disposition of slanted leg 36 and roller 49 to achieve the desired transverse support of the carriage at the upright section 20. Of course, the rollers carried by lug 45 are mounted in cross-wise disposition with respect to one another with the planes of rotation of the rollers being offset by less than 90", whereby the rollers in question are advantageously supported on all sides within the lower channel. This disposition of the crosswise rollers in the lower channel serves to provide support at the outer lateral leg of the carriage within the right angle corner of the guide means, such corner being defined by the lower channel 30, and more specifically by the confining arcuate medial concave portion of the ramp 11.

It will be appreciated that the mounting means 51 for the rollers 49 are replaceably inserted via the cover plate 52 on the slanted leg 36 for ready access at the forward face of the planer carriage. The downwardly directed apex rollers 41 are readily replaced, if necessary, access being permitted for this purpose at the forward face of the carriage. By the provision for the openings 60 in the apex leg 38, access is also provided at the same forward face for replacement of the rollers in the lug means, since the lug means may be disconnected from wall 39 and in turn the rollers thereon replaced.

It will be realized that because of the forward urgence by suitable urging means of the track edge into engagement with the mine Wall 17 at the mine floor 16, the rearwardly tilting forces exerted by the mine face on the cutting means and in turn on the slanted leg 36 will be transmitted via rollers 49 at the longitudinal ends of the carriage onto shank 22, and by reason of the presence of bracket 7 and ramp 11, such transverse tipping forces will be transmitted in turn via anchoring edge 15 back to the mine face. This will prevent any pos sible tipping of the carriage and/or of the guide means. Also, the downward forces exerted by the mine face on the cutting means and in turn on apex leg 38 and lug will be transmitted to ramp 11 via rollers 41, 47 and 48, so that a downward stabilization of the carriage will be assured as well. The configuration of triangularly disposed rollers when the carriage is seen in cross-section,

ensures that the planer during mining operations will neither tilt nor pivot rearwardly from the mine face or with respect to the guide means even though the planer is not provided with a conventional keel. Therefore, a further advantage is the fact that the conveyor and especially the underside thereof is relieved of the excessive forces which would be generated in the event a keel had to be used as a stabilizing means for the planer.

Advantageously, by reason of the replaceable mounting of bracket 7 on the conveyor side wall 2, any undue wear of the slide surface 19 as the return strand of the drive cable means moves along upper channel 31, will be readily remedied.

A further advantage regarding the stability of the planer in question is the fact that the roller arrangement contemplated is disposed in the form of-separate sets at both longitudinal ends of the carriage. This will preserve not only the desired freedom from rearward tilting but also will prevent any other type of displacement with respect to the normal longitudinal path of movement of the planer, so long as the guide means are urged in anchoring contact with the mine face at the mine floor. The weight of the planer itself, as well as the forces generated at the mine face, will be more readily transmitted to the guide means with a minimum of friction and with a minimum of operating power.

Therefore, broadly, the present invention contemplates a planer carriage adapted to receive cutting means thereon and to be conducted on a guide support surface longitudinally back and forth along a mine face with such cutting means in operative engagement with the mine face for extraction of mineral therefrom substantially Without deviation of said carriage from the normal longitudinal path thereof, which comprises angular carriage means having operatively downwardly directed reduced friction contact surface guide means thereon for transmitting with reduced friction forces acting downwardly on said carriage means and having operatively transversely directed reduced friction contact surface guide means thereon for transmitting with reduced friction forces acting transevrsely on said carriage means, with respect to such guide support surface on which said planer carriage is conducted along such mine face.

The reduced friction contact surface guide means preferably are in the form of rollers, but may also be in the form of sliding elements, skids, and the like, whereby to reduce friction yet provide supporting sliding engagement between the carriage and the guide means.

More specifically, in accordance with a particular embodiment of the invention, a planer carriage is provided which is adapted to receive cutting means thereon and to be conducted on a guide support surface longitudinally back and forth along a mine face with such cutting means in operative engagement with the mine face for extraction of mineral therefrom substantially without deviation of said carriage from the normal longitudinal path thereof, such carriage comprising angular carriage means formed by two interconnected leg means extending from a common apex connection, including a substantially transversely disposed lateral leg means and a substantially upwardly and inwardly disposed slanted leg means, and reduced friction contact surface guide means, including first apex reduced friction contact surface guide means situated at said apex connection and having first contact surface means operatively downwardly directed from said apex connection, second transverse reduced friction contact surface guide means situated at the laterally outer portion of said lateral leg means spaced from said apex connection and having second contact surface means operatively downwardly directed from said laterally outer portion, and third slanted reduced friction contact surface guide means situated at the upwardly outer portion of said slanted leg means spaced from said apex connection and from said alterally outer portion and having third contact surface means operatively transversely outwardly directed from said upwardly outer portion in a direction away from said apex connection, whereby forces acting downwardly on said carriage means will be transmitted with reduced friction by said first and second contact surface means, and forces acting transversely on said carriage means will be transmitted with reduced friction by said third contact surface means, with respect to such guide support surface on which said planer carriage is conducted along such mine face. In this embodiment, preferably the first, second and third reduced friction contact surface guide means are correspondingly first, second and third roller means, and said angular carriage means in cross-section has substantially the shape of an L, with the upright leg of such L being slanted toward the transverse leg thereof, such that in cross-section the first roller means at said apex connection, the second roller means at said laterally outer portion of said lateral leg means and the third roller means at said upwardly outer portion of said slanted leg means, together define the corresponding apexes of a triangle having a base between said first roller means at said apex connection and said second roller means at said laterally outer portion, and corresponding sides extending upwardly respectively from said first roller means at said apex connection and from said second roller means at said laterally outer portion to said third roller means at said upwardly outer portion.

Advantageously, the roller means at said laterally outer portion include additionally transversely outwardly directed fourth roller means for additionally transmitting forces acting transversely on said carriage means with reduced friction, with respect to such guide support surface. The planes of rotation of the second and fourth roller means conveniently intersect each other at an angle of less than 90 while the angles of the planes of rotation of the first, second, third and fourth roller means intersect one another to form a trapezoid.

Furthermore, the present invention contemplates a planer carriage and guide arrangement for disposition longitudinally along a mine face, with said carriage being adapted to be conducted longitudinally back and forth along the mine face and to receive cutting means thereon for operative engagement with the mine face to extract mineral therefrom substantially without deviation of said carriage from the normal longitudinal path thereof, which comprises elongated guide support surface means including an upright wall and a transverse lateral lower wall, and angular carriage means mounted for travel on said guide support surface means along a normal longitudinal path and having operatively downwardly directed reduced friction contact surface guide means thereon in conductive contact with said lower wall, for transmitting with reduced friction forces acting downwardly on said carriage means to said lower wall, and having operatively transversely directed reduced friction contact surface guide means thereon in conductive contact with said upright wall, for transmitting with reduced friction forces acting transversely on said carriage means to said upright wall, during travel of said carriage means on said guide support surface means.

It will be appreciated that the instant specification and drawings are set forth by way of illustration and not limitation, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention which is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Planer carriage adapted to receive cutting means thereon and to be conducted on a guide support surface longitudinally back and forth along a mine face with such cutting means in operative engagement with the mine face for extraction of mineral therefrom substantially without deviation of said carriage from the normal longitudinal path thereof, which comprises angular carriage means formed by two interconnected leg means extending from a common apex connection, including a substantially transversely disposed lateral leg means and a substantially upwardly and inwardly disposed slanted leg means, and reduced friction contact surface guide means, including first apex reduced friction contact surface guide means situated at said apex connection and having first contact surface means operatively downwardly directed from said apex connection, second transverse reduced friction contact surface guide means situated at the laterally outer portion of said lateral leg means spaced from said apex connection and having second contact surface means operatively downwardly directed from said laterally outer portion, and third slanted reduced friction contact surface guide means situated at the upwardly outer portion of said slanted leg means spaced from said apex connection and from said laterally outer portion and having third contact surface means operatively transversely outwardly directed from said upwardly outer portion in a direction away from said apex connection, whereby forces acting downwardly on said carriage means will be transmitted with reduced friction by said first and second contact surface means, and forces acting transversely on said carriage means will be transmitted with reduced friction by said third contact surface means, with respect to such guide support surface on which said planer carriage is conducted along such mine face.

2. Carriage according to claim 1 wherein said first, second and third reduced friction contact surface guide means are correspondingly first, second and third roller means, and said angular carriage means in cross-section has substantially the shape of an L, with the upright leg of such L being slanted toward the transverse leg thereof, such that in cross-section the first roller means at said apex connection, the second roller means at said laterally outer portion of said lateral leg means and the third roller means at said upwardly outer portion of said slanted leg means, together define the corresponding apexes of a triangle having a base between said first roller means at said apex connection and said second roller means at said laterally outer portion, and corresponding sides extending upwardly respectively from said first roller means at said apex connection and from said second roller means at said laterally outer portion to said third roller means at said upwardly outer portion.

3. Carriage according to claim 2 wherein the roller means at said laterally outer portion include additionally transversely outwardly directed fourth roller means for additionally transmitting forces acting transversely on said carriage means with reduced friction, with respect to such guide support surface.

4. Carriage according to claim 3 wherein the planes of rotation of said second and fourth roller means intersect each other at an angle of less than and wherein the planes of rotation of said first, second, third and fourth roller means intersect one another to form a trapezoid.

5. Carriage according to claim 4 wherein said third roller means are mounted in a holder means removably disposed on said slanted leg means.

'6. Carriage according to claim 5 wherein said carriage means includes longitudinal end portions and a center portion and a separate set of first, second, third and fourth roller means is disposed at each said longitudinal end portion, pivot mounting means being provided at said center portion for pivotally mounting such cutting means thereon.

7. Carriage according to claim 6 wherein said longitudinal end portions are covered by inwardly slanted cover means providing chute surfaces for conducting extracted mineral upwardly and transversely rearwardly in a direction away from said pivot mounting means and such cutting means.

8. Carriage according to claim 6 wherein said laterally outer portion includes connector means for attaching a 15 drive cable means for conducting such carriage means back and fourth along the mine face.

9. Carriage according to claim 6 wherein said upwardly outer portion includes an outwardly directed curved edge portion for overlaying a corresponding portion of such guide support surface.

10. Planer and guide arrangement adapted to be disposed along a mine face, with said planer being movable longitudinally back and forth along the mine face in operative engagement therewith for extraction of mineral therefrom substantially without deviation of said planer from the normal longitudinal path thereof, which comprises elongated support surface means and planer means mounted thereon for back and forth movement along said longitudinal path; said support surface means including a mining conveyor having lateral side walls and a center trough interposed therebetween, a bracket section mounted on the adjacent side wall of the conveyor adapted to be placed adjacent the mine face and having an upper seat portion extending transversely remote from said conveyor side wall and a lower seat portion extending transversely remote from said conveyor side wall, an upright section having an upper crest portion situated at a height spaced from the upper end of said conveyor side walls and an intermediate substantially vertically extending shank portion, said upright section being mounted at said shank portion on said bracket section and at said crest portion on said conveyor side wall whereby to form an upper channel within the corresponding enclosing parts of said crest portion, said shank portion and said bracket section for displaceably receiving the return strand of the drive cable means used to move the planer along the mine face, and a transverse lateral ramp section having a medial concave portion, an intermediate track and a distal edge portion, said ramp section being mounted at said concave portion on said lower seat portion of the bracket section and said track extending outwardly and downwardly from said medial portion to said distal edge portion in contact with the mine floor thereat, with the lower end of said shank portion extending downwardly from said upper seat toward said track to define an elongated longitudinally extending slit therebetween, whereby to form a lower channel within the corresponding enclosing parts of said medial concave portion, said track and the lower end of said shank portion for displaccably receiving the forward strand of said drive cable, a substantially right-triangle cross-sectional configuration being defined by said medial concave portion as right-angle apex, said shank portion as upstanding leg and said track as lateral leg; and said planer including angular carriage means formed by two interconnected i6 leg means extending from a common apex connection, including a substantially transversely disposed lateral leg means and a substantially upwardly and inwardly disposed slanted leg means, and reduced friction contact surface guide means, including first apex reduced friction contact surface guide means situated at said apex connection and having first contact surface means operatively downwardly directed from said apex connection, second transverse reduced friction contact surface guide means situated at the laterally outer portion of said lateral leg means spaced from said apex connection and having second contact surface means operatively downwardly directed from said laterally outer portion, and third slanted reduced friction contact surface guide means situated at the upwardly outer portion of said slanted leg means spaced from said apex connection and from said laterally outer portion and having third contact surface means operatively transversely outwardly directed from said upwardly outer portion in a direction away from said apex connection; said first contact surface means being in conductive contact with said track, said second contact surface means being in conductive contact with said medial concave portion, and said third contact surface means being in conductive contact with said shank portion, such that said lateral leg means extends transversely along said track with said laterally outer portion thereof passing through the slit between the lower end of said shank portion and said track to said lower channel for connection thereat with said forward strand, and said slanted leg means extends upwardly and inwardly toward said crest portion yet being spaced slightly therefrom, the uppermost portion of said slanted leg means having a crest flange substantially conforming to the conformation of said crest portion and extending thereover toward said conveyor side wall, whereby forces acting downwardly and transversely on said planer will be transmitted via said angular carriage means and said reduced friction contact surface guide means to said support surface means with reduced friction during the back and forth movement of said planer and said planer will be maintained by the guide arrangement substantially without deviation from the normal longitudinal path thereof.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 635,532 9/1936 Germany. 642,686 3/ 1937 Germany. 977,163 1/ 1963 Great Britain.

ERNEST R. PURSER, Primary Examiner. 

